(From Anwar)
Make no mistake about it, losing quarterback Quinn Ewers was a gut punch to everyone inside the building. It was a gut punch to Longhorn fans desperately clinging to their final hope from a recruiting standpoint. There have been several recruiting setbacks this year, but Ewers’ decision to decommit was a tough pill to swallow for Longhorn nation.
Before that pill, 2021 receiver Billy Bowman decommitted. Prior to Bowman, 2021 quarterback Jalen Milroe decommitted. Prior to Milroe, Tommy and James Brockermeyer ignored their family’s Longhorn legacy and committed to Alabama instead of Texas. Bryce Foster is not leaning toward Texas. Same goes for Saivon Byrd. It is hard to predict if Texas will land running back LJ Johnson at this rate.
The loss of Ewers is seemingly devastating.
Geoff Ketchum broke down Ewers’ decommitment during an analysis on Wednesday night, and he expressed the ramifications of Texas’ recent recruiting setback.
“Suddenly, Texas has lost footing that it was previously counting on. It's going to have an impact.
“The football program is taking on water right now in recruiting, a trust that existed before the commitment of Ewers arrived, but was somewhat overshadowed by the historical magnitude of his commitment. With the loss of Billy Bowman, the commitments of the Brockermeyer brothers to Alabama and now the de-commitment of Ewers, there's no getting around the reality that the Longhorns have landed a mere two four-star in-state prospects in the 2021 class in the last 13+ months.
“Two in the last 13+ months. This commitment doesn't even impact that number as much as it shines a light on its newfound importance upon the reality of the impact of losing Ewers tonight.”
What happened?
A lot.
According to my sources, Ewers believed there were too many challenges associated with the Texas program, which is why he decommitted on Wednesday. There are several concerning events that caught the attention of Ewers and his family since the quarterback originally committed. As a result, Ewers is seemingly leaning toward Ohio State.
Here are few things I heard affected his decision:
Current record – Texas is currently 3-2, but could easily be 2-3 without a miraculous come-from-behind victory against Texas Tech. I learned Ewers was concerned about the offense, specifically the lack of a run game and athletes on the offensive line. There was also some concern within the Ewers household about the future of Texas’ offensive line due to the lack of current recruiting success at that position.
Fire Herman, Hire Urban – It is impossible for anyone who follows the Longhorn program to ignore the Urban Meyer to Texas rumors. Nothing is etched in stone. A win against Oklahoma State likely puts Texas back into the top 25, which could slow down the Urban train. However, that uncertainty contributed to Ewers’ decision, and the staff could not sway him to stay.
TCU – The loss to TCU at home raised red flags as well. Texas was penalized 12 times for 92 yards during the loss. In addition, TCU finished with more offensive yards (458) than Texas (388). It was not an impressive performance in the eyes of Ewers, and the ensuing loss against Oklahoma did not help either.
Team turmoil – Texas safety B.J. Foster made national headlines when he quit during the third quarter in the season-opener against UTEP after becoming dissatisfied about a lack of playing time. Foster left the stadium and went home. However, he showed up to lift weights with the team on Sunday like nothing happened. Foster was disciplined behind-the-scenes, but never suspended. If fact, he played in 64 percent of the snaps against Texas Tech (Chris Brown received 61 percent of snaps and Caden Sterns was at 74 percent). The optics from afar was a huge red flag for the Ewers family.
The Eyes of Texas – From what I was told, the main issue was for Ewers was how chaotic this situation appeared. Longhorn fans were mad at players. The players were seemingly unhappy with the fan base. According to my sources, the quarterback did not like the war between fans and players. If that was the only issue, maybe The Eyes controversy could have been ignored. When you add in the other challenges associated with the program this season, Ewers decided to move on.
I was told Ewers did not want to be the savior of Texas. It appears he wants to play for a program with fewer challenges.
More than one person I talked to this week blamed the Austin media for their/our constant negative coverage of this team. I was told recruits, their parents, friends and family members read the consistent attacks and rumors on message boards, which works against Texas in recruiting. In addition, I was told that trickles down to the players who do not buy in because of the negative attacks.
However, my sources did say if this team was 5-0 or 4-1, not only would Ewers still be committed, Texas may have been able to flip the Brockermeyers.
“The only way to shut up the outside noise is to win games,” a source told me.
It is also the best way to retain committed players and attract other recruits.
Jason Suchomel will keep you posted on the latest recruiting updates.
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Nobody denied the significance of losing Ewers this week.
Yet, as they searched for something positive after the biggest recruiting loss in years, everyone inside the building pointed to Hudson Card.
Casey Thompson, Ja’Quinden Jackson and Card are expected to battle for the starting quarterback position prior to next season. Thompson is currently Ehlinger’s backup, Card receives a small portion of backup reps, while Jackson is the scout team quarterback. It will be the most anticipated quarterback battle in several seasons.
Even though Ewers is gone, my sources are optimistic there is enough talent in the quarterback room to win in 2021, and some are betting on Card.
Obviously, a lot of things can change between now and next season.
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When the outside noise begins to get loud, that is typically when most coaches and players act as if they are oblivious to what is being said about their program.
Here is a helpful hint.
Whenever somebody says they have no clue about a hot topic because they do not read those reports, that is the person who reads the most. I have been in this business for 25 years, and been told in person by numerous coaches they never read what I write. I remember one NFL coach giving me a media lecture for over 30 minutes on my first day covering him. That coach told me how much he dislikes the media, will never read me, and never to ask for anything. Yeah, he read everything.
My sources are aware of the Urban Meyer speculation, coupled with the issues in recruiting. Nobody I recently spoke with denied the challenges ahead. They expect an uphill battle.
However, I was told there were zero signs of distractions this week as the team prepared for Oklahoma State.
My sources point to a two-point loss against TCU and a one possession loss against Oklahoma as proof the sky is not falling.
“Everybody in the building - players, coaches, administrators - all see the progress we’re making,” I was told.
Prior to the season, I constantly asked if the lack of spring practice, players working out on their own, team meetings through Zoom, and only two training camp scrimmages would affect this team. I was consistently told that it would not be an issue because most of the playbook was installed during winter conditioning.
In fact, I asked Herman if he had any concerns about the lack of time coupled with seven new coaches, and he expressed a lot of optimism.
“The good part about everything was that in the last five to 10 years, the NCAA has certainly relaxed a lot of the rules surrounding our interaction with our guys in the winter offseason,” Herman said. “As soon as these guys got back from Christmas break, we were allowed to meet with them for two hours a week, which we took full advantage of. We were able to have position specific conditioning drills. Every single one of our players has been coached numerous times on the field by their new coach. The last couple years, we've been allowed to have walkthroughs, too.
“We got a lot accomplished in February and March, certainly. Now, with eight hours a week, we're not even close to using the eight hours a week of meeting time that the NCAA has allowed us to have with our players virtually, but I feel more than comfortable with the mental aspect. Let me put it this way, regardless of spring practice or not, we have met more this offseason from February until June than any other year in the past. Maybe twice as much.”
However, multiple people inside the building recently told me they should not have crossed their fingers prior to this season.
According to my sources, the first three Big 12 games were challenging due to the lack of preseason preparation.
Nevertheless, those inside the building believe the win against Baylor was the team’s best performance this year, and they see improvement.
In addition, I was told the locker room appears confident prior to Oklahoma State, and one source told me, “That is all you can ask for under these circumstances.”
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(From Suchomel)
When I spoke with new 2021 wide receiver offer Jack Bech earlier this week, he spoke very highly of Texas and I got the impression the Longhorns were legitimate contenders for his commitment, especially with him decommitting from Vanderbilt the next day. With the way the last 48 hours have gone, it’s probably fair to question whether or not a lot of these quotes still hold true, but here goes …
Bech, out of Lafayette (LA) St. Thomas More, has seen his stock blow up of late, with offer from programs like Texas, LSU, TCU pouring in.
Bryan Carrington has done a really good job of getting Texas in the mix with this one, and when I talked to Bech on Tuesday night, he and his father had just finished a zoom call with Carrington.
“It went really, really well,” Bech said of the call. “He was just going over everything Austin, Texas has to offer. Just the community around them, how much they’re supported, there’s no major league team of any sort, how they are the big-time show in Austin. Everybody around them is all affiliated with Texas and Texas football, how big of a deal it is.
“We talked a lot about how I would really like a chance to play early. He completely agreed, said if I go in and work my butt off, block like I know how to block, go up and catch balls - he’s not promising anything – but he said if I can poke my head in the room, be a threat, I’ll have a chance to make an impact early on.”
Carrington has been talking to Bech for a couple weeks and the two have already struck up a good relationship.
“I love coach Bryan. He’s a great dude, keeps it real with me. It was a really good (Zoom) call,” Bech said. “He’s just really blunt and straight forward, which we really like. Whenever coaches start promising these things, those promises can be broken. He’s not promising anything, just saying if I go in and work, I could potentially come in there and make an impact. He took the time, called me knowing my uncles went to LS U and played there, my sisters went there. He knew a lot of background on my family as well, not just football.”
When Bech talked to Andre Coleman this week to get his offer, he was told Texas likes his size, athletic ability, his willingness to block and the way Bech attacks the football.
“He was saying how they really like me, liked my tape. I was really happy to get that offer,” Bech said.
The 6-2 ½, 215-pound Bech said he’s like to get up to Austin soon to see the city and tour the campus, if possible. He’s been in touch with Texas quarterback commitment Charles Wright about meeting up when he does visit.
I asked Bech what Texas would have to show him to ultimately win this race over his other offers, including in-state LSU.
“Like I told coach Bryan an coach Andre, it’s really going to be about who shows me the most love. I don’t want to go somewhere where I’m not going to be really wanted,” Bech said. “I want to go somewhere where I can make an impact early on, where the coaching staff that likes my game and likes me as a person as well.”
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2021 wide receiver Antonio Harmon has been a tough guy to get much info on … mostly because he rarely does interviews. There has been some recent buzz about Texas being in a good spot with him, maybe even inching ahead of schools like Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
I caught up with Harmon’s coach, Casey Orr, this week to check in. It sounds like Harmon is keeping an open mind, but Orr said the Longhorns are definitely a school that’s being strongly considered.
“I don’t know a timeline. But I do feel it’s to safe to say Texas is a big player in it,” coach Orr said.
And what does Orr bring to the table?
“He’s a big body at wide receiver. He’s pushing 6-4, 215. He’s just an impressive specimen to look at. He has elite speed, good hands,” Orr said. “I think he’s a guy that’s built to take the bop off a defense, and still has that ability to get the ball across the field.”
Last year, Harmon’s school ran a wing-t offense (this is Orr’s first year at the school). Because of that, Harmon didn’t get a lot of opportunities on offense. He’s also a standout safety, with schools like LSU offering him for defense. Orr said he thinks Harmon prefers offense but is willing to play defense at the next level if that’s where his path takes him.
“I think he’s just a kid who likes to play football,” Orr said.
This year, Kosciousko is running more of a spread offense and Orr said Harmon is realizing the benefits.
“I can’t tell you how many TDs he had this three years, but I’d be willing to bet he has more than first three years. He had three TDs last Friday and over 120 yards,” Orr said.
There’s been some chatter of Harmon making his way to Austin at some point for a visit. Orr said it wouldn’t shock him since their season is starting to wind down, but as of right now he doesn’t believe anything has been scheduled.
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Some of you have wondered if Texas can get back in it for quarterback Quinn Ewers at some point if the Longhorns get things turned around, or if there are changes in the coaching staff.
It’s recruiting, so never say never, but this one feels like Ewers already knows what his next move will be and if it’s Ohio State like most think (or for that matter, a school like Clemson or Bama), I think the odds of the Longhorns reeling him back in are pretty slim. Ohio State isn’t the type of program that loses many guys once a player commits, and Ewers doesn’t strike me as the type that’s going to decommit twice.
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There have been a lot of questions this week about the possibility of Texas commitment Ja'Tavion Sanders opening up his recruitment. Truth be told, those questions have been prominent ever since Billy Bowman decommitted.
Sanders is always quiet so it’s tough to get a good read on what he’s thinking, and sources at his school have been quiet of late as well. The fact that nobody has shot down the speculation of Sanders’ stability is a bit of a red flag, and the natural progression would be to worry about OU since that’s where Bowman is likely to wind up. All that being said, in talking to one person on Thursday, I’m told Sanders has not been very receptive to OU’s recent overtures. If he’s warmed to them, that would be a late change from where he’s been in recent weeks.
Now, could Sanders decide to re-open his recruitment and evaluate any and all offers? That’s always possible, but so far things have been pretty quiet as of Thursday night.
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If you missed the update earlier this week, five-star Daimion Collins is set to announce his commitment this Saturday. What once was a back-and-forth Red River battle now looks like a Kentucky runaway victory. It would be a stunner if Collins didn’t pick the Wildcats Saturday. Texas has some of the family influence on its side, but barring a very unexpected turn, that influence won’t be enough to sway Collins away from Kentucky. Crazier things have happened, but don’t get your hopes up.
Interestingly, Kentucky head coach John Calipari announced today he’s moving assistant coach Tony Barbee to special assistant to the head coach and making Jai Lucas an on-court assistant. This is an important distinction because it now means Lucas can fully recruit.
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On the team side of things, optimism is growing about how the Texas backcourt is playing and interacting in practices. As one person pointed out, it wasn’t until the end of last season when the trio of Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramey and Matt Coleman started to truly compliment each other best. Even in games when one or more of the three didn’t score well, an impact was often made in other areas like playmaking for others and defense.
Now, the trio gets another full – well, “full” in COVID-19 context – offseason and preseason the better develop the chemistry required for three guards with point guard skill and mindset to function on the floor the best way possible with the team. So far, the backcourt is poised to pick up where it left off last season with a more experienced group and a better Jones.
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Energy and competitiveness remain high in workouts, although that’s not necessarily a surprise given Texas is about a third of the way through its preseason. That said, one guy who is aiding Texas in both areas is senior big Royce Hamm, Jr. It sounds like the senior is really embracing his role as a high-energy, physical big who does all the little things for the team and welcomes the challenge of being a defensive presence. And people are taking notice.
Senior role players who embrace who they are can make a significant impact as a complimentary piece. Hamm ended last season on a high note, starting the team’s seven final games.
